On Flashback Friday, the artists and songs I choose to cover fall into one of two categories: beloved classics that still hold up to this day, or forgotten relics of the past. This time we're dealing with something from the latter category.
This is Akon. You may remember him most recently from starring in a hilarious Lonely Island video, or if we're stretching it, some quasi-hit David Guetta song from 2013... wait, that video has over 300 million views?! How?! Okay, whatever. However you remember him, there was no one quite like Akon. He's kind of like... if Adam Levine was a black guy and had even less charisma than he already does. Yeah, let's go with that. I could never, ever get into a single song that this guy touched (except the Lonely Island one). Even when he's not coming off as wretchedly sleazy, his irritating voice was still a deal-breaker for me. It's one of those voices that I think just should not exist in popular music. It almost sounds put-on, the way he wails. Like he's trying to sound bad on purpose. Even so, let me tell you this: I hate this song, but I don't hate it because of Akon. True, he's still pretty much as Akonic (that's a copyrighted word now, don't use it) as he usually is on the song, so he's still not great. But he doesn't go into histrionics on the performance, so it's not too bad. No, I'll tell you the reason I hate this song. Ooh, looks like another club banger They better hang on when they throw this thing on Marshall... where did you go? A lot of people cite "Just Lose It" as Eminem's colossal downfall in terms of quality. And while that song has terrible lyrics, I tihkn the real reason it fails is that Eminem sounds bored, as he does here. This performance is lifeless. And it's a shame, because there is some decent wordplay here, certainly moreso then in "Just Lose It" or just about anything else off of Encore, but I can't get invested in it because Em doesn't sound invested. "Yeah, yeah, pedicure, manicure... where's my paycheck?" The beat is passable, I guess, but I find a lot more wrong with this song than right. Eminem at some of his worst moments, Akon's horrible voice, and unpleasant lyrics. I feel you creeping, I can see it from my shadow Is that supposed to be sexy? I'd call the cops! God, enough of this. I need to listen to some early 2000s Eminem to smack this song out of my mind.
Today, we're looking at an artist trying to make it big by means of the Internet. And no, I don't mean they accidentally got picked up by Vine watchers because of how stupid their song is. I mean they're actually working hard to promote their tracks and get noticed. This is Skizzy Mars with his latest single, "Be Lazy".
Now this is a different sort of hip hop track than what the general public is used to. It just has that different feel, but still feels commercial enough to not be too alienating. Sort of like Childish Gambino's "3005". We all know about the tropes that rappers talk about nowadays - cars, women, money, chains. So it's always refreshing to hear a rapper talk about something not related to that. You know, actually tell a cohesive narrative. And it's surprisingly a narrative that a lot of people can relate to. Working hard, and yearning for a time to be lazy-
Yeah, that "work hard" element is key, or else you end up sounding like a douchebag. Which, coincidentally, is the title of another of Skizzy Mars' songs. Dude drew a lot of inspiration from "The Lazy Song", it seems. Good thing he built on those weak foundations. No, but I'm really excited to hear more from this guy! In fact, I think that's what I'll do! Okay, so final verdict on the guy: Awesome lyricist, could work on his tone. I've listened to a few of his songs, and more often than not he sounds bored with what he's saying. Thankfully the lyrics aren't boring, so he doesn't tread into bad Drake territory. But I think he could use a little more enthusiasm with his stuff. In fact, I think "Be Lazy" is the best song I've heard from him, and I hope it's the one to propel him into the mainstream, if that happens at all. Ironically, Skizzy tries his best to add some enthusiasm to his voice on a song called "Be Lazy", but it really does pay off. His yearning to have a lazy day after a week of hard work comes through in his voice. It's quite a different rap song than what I'm used to hearing, and I hope to hear more! Hot 100 Success: Will he have it? I don't know if the public is ready to accept Skizzy Mars into the pop world just yet. He could very well have success on the hip hop charts, where obviously they're more accepting of different twists of the genre. But I never really see many rap songs breaking new ground on the Hot 100 these days, so unfortunately I don't think it bodes well for Skizzy. Should he have it? Well, sure. I could use a little Skizzy Mars in between my Rich Gang and... Rae Sremmurd. Please be successful, Skizzy.
It's been one week into the protest and already I'm sick of Paul Anka.
Yes, and I'd like to forget. No, today, despite having no new Canadian songs on the Canadian charts, we shall venture on with a blast into the more recent past: Hedley!
I've covered Hedley a few times in this blog, you know, back when they still had hits, but I've never gone back to look at one of their older hits. Here's one of their biggest from 2008, called "For the Nights I Can't Remember".
This is where Hedley opted to go a little softer than their original sound entailed. Before, they were an energetic pop rock group with hits such as "On My Own" and "Trip"... wait, "Trip"?
Huh, so I guess they always had it in 'em. Okay, so this song really doesn't deviate from their sound at all. It just adopts a part of it. Okay, so Hedley's doing a love ballad. How does it go? I see it in the way you would do When no one else could ever get through Holding back till I come around Time and time again you wait for me to come in So the guy's apologizing to the girl for being kind of a jackass, coming in late and such, and also praising his girl for putting up with it. Well, that's a song. Okay, keep going. I would never let you down If I was running backwards in full time You... you already did, dude. This isn't how apologies work. Okay, I'm nitpicking here. I actually do think this is a very sweet song. It's got a nice, somber melody, and typically I'm not fond of Jacob Hoggard's vocals (yep, that's still his name) but I think he gets the job done by adding a little vulnerability to his performance here. Because if falling for you girl is crazy Then I’m going out of my mind And maybe falling for this song is crazy. But... oh god, he's so dreamy!
Oh, good! Another Maroon 5 song! How'd you all know this is what I wanted? Thanks, music-listening public! Ughhh. Look, I don't think I've made it a secret that I absolutely loathe Maroon 5 as of right now. Their music is so distant from anything resembling passion, emotion, or integrity that you may as well just slap a package on it and ship it out as processed cheese. But they continue to exist, so therefore I have to continue torturing myself by reviewing them. *sigh* Here is their latest single, "Sugar".
No, no. We already did that one. But is it sad that I'd look forward more to a Flo Rida song? Alas, here's the real song:
Wow, hold on a second. What's this? I can actually understand the mood that they're trying to pull off? Maroon 5 are trying again? It's a Christmas miracle! A month late, but hey, I'll take it! Maroon 5 haven't sounded this good since "Moves Like Jagger", a song which, for better or for worse is a massive guilty pleasure of mine. Sure, the lyrics are corny beyond belief, but at least it was fun, not like the disposable dirge they've been releasing after that. This is fun again. And more importantly, it sounds good. I mean, Adam Levine's vocals just come with the package, so you can take 'em or leave 'em. Me personally, I can tolerate his squawking as long as the band seems to know what they're doing. Hey, that's another thing: Maroon 5's actually starting to sound like a band again! Let's go back to "Payphone". Do any of those instruments sound like they came from anywhere other than GarageBand? No. Listen to that drum, you can't get more obviously computerized than that. Here, it may still be computerized for all I know, but at least it sounds like they're making an effort! As for the lyrics, well, you know. Adam Levine likes love and sex, Shocked? But here it actually sounds like he's enjoying himself. Listen to this shit for a second.
What is going on in this song? Is he supposed to be angry, or passionate, or loving, or what? You can't pinpoint the emotion in this song at all. In "Sugar", you can understand Adam Levine's need for love because you can hear how happy he sounds when he gets it. Sugar, yes please Won't you come and put it down on me? They're not brilliant, but they get the job done. And I don't want to uptalk this song too much, either. It's not spectacular or anything. Maroon 5 were honestly never really a spectacular band. But I say if you're going to sell out, do it like this so I'll actually buy.
Today, we're going back to a time when naming off months of the year could get you a spot on the Hot 100.
He loves, he loves, he loves his little calendar girl. Every day of the year. Let's take a look at what I can only assume are lyrics that don't sound cheesy at all. January, you start the year all fine February, you're my little Valentine March, I'm gonna march you down the aisle Euugh, that "March" one is pretty bad. Well, it can't get any worse, right? April, you're the Easter Bunny when you smile ...whaaaa? The Easter Bunny? You're comparing this girl to the Easter Bunny? How does that comparison jump out at you? I mean, yeah, Easter happens in April, but holy shit man, so does spring! Why not compare her smile to a flower? Or say she makes the showers go away when she smiles? I don't know, something other than the god damned Easter Bunny!
This is what his smile reminds you of, lady. Okay, so how's the rest of the song? Well, it's passable I guess. It's a pretty corny concept, but I can at least concede that nothing like this has ever been done before. And I can't think of any time where it was done again. So let's ignore the possible reasons why this may be, and just appreciate the song for its quirkiness.
You know, I gotta admit: ever since taking this new angle on Watch-for-it Wednesday, I have discovered a lot more diversity in music. For example, here's a UK electronica group! Bet you didn't see that one coming!
This is Years & Years, a group that formed in 2010 and currently has their biggest smash hit in the UK with "Desire". Is it enough to cross over the ocean? Let's analyze. So the song "Desire" is about desire. Sexual desire, to be specific. Sorry, U2. Now, it looks as though the singer wants his significant other to open up to him. Open your arms and pray To the truth that you're denying Funny enough, it never actually confirms that the girl does want to open up to this guy. In fact, all the details suggest the opposite. I want desire Cause your love only gets me abused The guy seems to be looking for desire, but is unable to find it. It's kind of sad, really. And I don't know if the song itself is aware of that. I mean, upon first listen, you think it's just some raunchy sex dance song. ("Sex dance"? "Dance sex"?) But honestly, the lyrics are quite heartbreaking. It's a song about unrequited love, backed by these catchy dance beats that fool you into thinking otherwise. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it was probably a conscious stylistic choice. But it is one of those songs that sucks you in without you knowing what it's about at first. If they wanted to make this into a sex jam, maybe it would have been wise to get a perspective from the other half, y'know, about what they're feeling and shit. Honestly, I haven't seen that done effectively since Gotye, and I'd like to see more of it. It might have strengthened this song for me. But I do still appreciate it for what it is. It could just be better, is all. But it could also be a whole lot worse, so maybe I shouldn't complain. Hot 100 Success: Will they have it? Years & Years haven't broken free from their home country yet. It hasn't been that long, however, so I would say they have at least a shot. Should they have it? Like I said, given that dance music can be a whole lot worse these days, I'll definitely take some more Years & Years on the radio. Yes please!
Okay, I'm not happy. It's protesting time. Until Canadians today actually start getting regional hits again, I'm going to sit here on Tuesdays and review every goddamn Paul Anka song in the book!
It won't be easy. It won't be worth it. But it will.... oh, who am I kidding, let's get this over with. So, Paul Anka! Certainly a big star back in the 50's and 60's! So big that my very first flashback on CanTunes Tuesday was dedicated to the man! And he's so irritating that I never want to hear another song from him again. Okay, the ideas for a good song are here, at least. It's a cute little melody, with the guitar there, and the horns there. But like all Paul Anka songs, the problems accumulate with Anka himself. OHohOH that's the story of my HIIIII loooove He just bleats every note like a strangled duck. It gets unlistenable at points. But this is what I have to do, for the Billboard charts do not satisfy me. Come on, Billboard! Do your job right! Represent Canada in all its glory! I mean, don't use Justin Bieber or Nickelback. Glory is the key word here.
Today we have a song that got popular because of a movie. I'm sorry, did we go back 30 years or something?
Whatever. As long as a song is interesting enough to stand on its own, it belongs on the pop charts. So, what have we got?
...ehhhhh?
What the hell is this? What kind of lifeless nothingness of a track is this?
Okay, so I'm not going in fully blind to this song. I have read the entire Hunger Games series, so I do recognize these lyrics. This is "The Hanging Tree", a song that Katniss learned from her father and uses as a battle cry in the movie. Now, I haven't seen this movie, but... really? This?
Honestly, I kind of thought the song was a little limp even in the book. I guess the repetition in the song provides a good, catchy chant for your... hunger games tribe to chant, but it doesn't make for interesting storytelling and it doesn't make for good lyrics. I'm all for a good protest song, but actually make it a good song!
Seriously, they repeat three of the four lines over and over again, only slightly changing up each verse. The melody doesn't even really change, at least vocally. Jennifer Lawrence said that she requested Lorde to song this song, and... honestly? Yeah, I think they should have done it. Lorde might have been able to pull off what J-Law is failing to here, and it might have helped build on Lorde's persona as a singer. She may be tired of throwing her hands up in the air, but by God, she'll belt one out for a movie if she has to!
I don't know. Maybe it works in the movie, but on its own it's kind of limp and lifeless. The instrumentation gets nice towards the end, but there's only so much you can do with the same melody over and over. I probably won't be coming to this tree, is all I'm saying. Find me a bush or something.
Sure you do. The show that was entertaining because of the judges, and almost never because of the lifeless, soulless performers that got up on the stage? Yeah, that American Idol. I... don't know which one you were thinking of. But despite AI's reputation for slamming mediocre performer after mediocre performer down our throats, there have been a few standout gems, one of whom was the first winner, Kelly Clarkson.
I think I had an almost embarrassing obsession with Kelly Clarkson as a youngster. Back in her Breakaway heyday, all the songs she made either rocked hard or tugged at your heartstrings. And as I grow older, I begin to appreciate her softer side a little more, especially with songs like "Because of You".
A lot of people cite "Since U Been Gone" as Kelly's magnum opus, and admittedly it makes a good case. It's the song everyone thinks of when they think of Kelly Clarkson. In-your-face with just enough of an edge to be hard-hitting, but not enough to make Kelly unlikable. But me personally? I'd cite "Because of You" as my favourite Kelly Clarkson song. Kelly's always been American Idol's best vocalist, there's no question about that. (Seriously, who were you thinking, Chris Daughtry? Yeesh.) And I feel that this is the song where she has the most control over the mood solely through her vocals. She plays it relatively calm until the last part of the bridge where she rightfully begins to belt out her pent-up emotions. And what emotions they are. Because of you I tried my hardest just to forget everything Because of you I don't know how to let anyone else in Lyrically, I think this song is also Kelly Clarkson's best. It's certainly the most introspective emotionally. I love Kelly, but she's sometimes a little distant lyrically. I like her songs, but I don't fully understand what she's feeling in some of her songs. Here, there's no question. She is hurting bad. My heart can't possibly break When it wasn't even whole to start with She's at her wit's end, and you can feel it in both the lyrics and the vocals. It's a beautifully put together song, and holy shit guys, Breakaway is more than ten years old now. Is my hair going gray yet? Whatever. Great song, great album. I stand by that.
Yep, that's the same guy as this. Huge potential, squandered almost every time. I hope the same doesn't happen to Dolph. It's a cruel world out there. Hot 100 Success: Will he have it? I think Young Dolph's got enough buzz about him to break into the Hot 100. I've heard the name before doing this review, so I can see him getting reasonably big. Should he have it? Absolutely. He's one of the better modern rappers I've seen. I just hope it doesn't go to his head.
Oh boy. I hope that the Canadian charts start getting more homegrown hits soon, because I'm delving back into the history of Canadian pop music, and... I'm not liking what I'm seeing.
Informer Yanoseebladeesoapydadooblam A licky boom-boom down What? Informer You know say Daddy Snow me, I'm gonna blame A licky boom-boom down ...what? Okay, so before Iggy Azalea was a thing, there was another white person trying to cash in on a black sound. His name was Snow, and with a name like that and a heritage like Canada, he's about as white as they come. Well, okay, it's not fair to entirely discount his street cred based on his skin colour. He did grow up in the projects of North York, Toronto, and he does have a lot of Jamaican friends. It's just... he puts on this Jamaican reggae accent, and that's just not how he sounds in real life. I mean, I'm sure he's picked up cues from the culture he grew up in, but the fact is he's still putting it on, and you can obviously tell. And beyond the racial implications of such a stunt, it also makes for bad music. Why do you have to put on an accent to rap? Eminem didn't have to do it. The Beastie Boys didn't have to do it. Just be yourself! But that's not my only problem with the song. What the fuck is he saying?! Like, enunciate, man. I can't make out one word of this song other than "Informer", "a licky boom-boom down", and various others. Mashoozoosooturra amma tazoodoshoa Medipombeedumbeebon TORONTO It's like he's playing an unsuccessful game of Mad Gab or something. I can't make it out. But the worst part is... when I look up these lyrics, they're about as cerebral as when I couldn't make them out. Lover who I'm gonna call is the one Tammy I love her from my heart down to my belly Your heart down to your belly? Do you... want to eat her? I don't know, I can't go much further with this. I have no idea how this became a hit in the first place, and I'm glad that Snow didn't infect the popular culture with any more of his songs.
Yeah, last year was sort of underwhelming for rap music. You had the odd great song pass through, but most of it was less cerebral than rap music usually is nowadays, and that's saying something. But if there was a star of rap last year, it was Nicki Minaj, who came back swinging with her hit "Anaconda". Whether you like the song or not, it was definitely the biggest hit in hip hop from 2014. And now she's got a new song that's in the Top 20, with Drake!... and Lil Wayne. And... Chris Brown. I don't know if I'll like this. *after listening to the song* That was... pretty good. I'm just impressed, I suppose, by the little things now in rap music, but for some reason, even though I usually dislike disjointed topics in rap music, or any music really, I got a kick out of this one. I think it's just how calm and calculated the beat seems, contrasted by Nicki, Drake, and Wayne's fierce spitting. There's aindividual parts that I like too, like this one: Drake: We had just come from that video You know LA traffic, how the city slow She was sitting down on that big butt But I was still staring at the titties though Reference to "Anaconda". Nice. And hell, even Chris Brown, an artist who I normally hate, has a pretty good chorus here. Despite the fact that he's still an asshole, at least his persona in the music video here accentuates it. It may be questionable, but it's better than pretending like Chris Brown is this innocent R&B crooner, and at least it's not douchey. So... sorry guys, no snark here. Until next time!
Nobody gave less fucks in the 2000s than Ludi. Nobody.
Ludacris was probably one of the goofiest rappers of his time, and we ate up every second of it. He just had this carefree personality about him that signified that you're the problem if you don't like his music. That's not easy to pull off without being unlikable, but Ludi did it. Let;s take this song for example. He literally just ends his hook with "Ay, ay, AY!" And unlike Andee, he says those "Ay"s with conviction. It's like he's acting as his own hype man. Sorry, Lil Jon. Your services are not necessary here. And honestly, take a look at some of these lyrics, because they are just terrible: Shake shake shake your money maker Like you were shaking it for some paper Shake your money maker like you were shaking it to make... money. Um, duly noted, Ludi. But you know what? It doesn't matter how bad the lyrics are. Ludi has established such a likable personality for himself that he can say whatever the hell he wants and I wouldn't care. Kind of like Snoop Dogg in that regard. (Though that still doesn't excuse you for being on a Derulo song last year, Snoop. A man's gotta know his limits.) And of course, Pharrell is here to provide an awesome backing beat for Ludacris' song. It's simple, but it's effective in creating a head-bobber throughout. And that's what this song makes me do. Bob my head mindlessly. Nothing wrong with that. In fact, I could use a little more of it in my life! So shake your record maker, boys, because whatever you're doing, it's paying off quite literally. Ay, ay, AY!
All right, welcome back to Watch-for-it Wednesday! Christmas is over and done for 2014, and now we look at the possible rising stars once again for 2015! Let's start off this year with a Swedish-American artist known by the name of Mapei.
Jacqueline Mapei Cummings was born in America in December of 1983. Her music career began in 2009 when she released her debut EP as a rapper, called The Cocoa Butter Diaries. She then decided to try singing to better influence her creative side. Enter "Don't Wait" come 2013, which reached #27 on the US Club chart and did formidably in a few European countries. But the reason I bring up this song now is because... well, it's because my Heatseekers chart is gone. Yeah, it was stuck on the week of November 29 throughout December and then just disappeared. The Albums chart is still there, but the Songs chart? Gone. My only solace in finding something to talk about is to consult a live Twitter chart. Are you ready to dive into the social media aspect of pop music? Well, here we go. The Twitter chart is done in real time, and I tell ya I can't find this song anywhere on the chart now. Real time is so fickle! But hey, there's no reason why I can't cover this song if it was popular at one brief moment at time on Twitter, right? Right? ...bear with me, okay? So, "Don't Wait"! How's the song? Well, it's... nice enough. Not the most exciting thing I've ever heard, but I don't think it's really supposed to be. It's just supposed to be a sweet song to evoke a sweet mood. It accomplishes this feat just fine, in my opinion. I don't know if it's really worth blowing up on the Billboard charts, but it has its place. Don't wait til I do wrong And from the sounds of this song, she hasn't yet. Hot 100 Success: Will she have it? This will prove to be the hardest thing ever to judge now, given that the charts are so fickle. Unfortunately, I don't think this is exciting enough to garner much success. Then again, we did let Sam Smith in... Should she have it? She's talented enough for success, but maybe not exciting enough. I'll toss in my two cents and say a cautious yes. I mean, we did let Sam Smith in... anything's possible.
This is her new single, "Sorries". I don't think she needs to apologize to me for creating such an unremarkable song back in August, but sure, if she wants to apologize, I guess I'll take it. Let's get the sorries out of the way ...ay-ay-ay-ay ...Okay, I guess I have some apologizing to do too. Andee, I'm sorry that I said you were below Sarah McLachlan and Alanis Morissette in terms of memorability in Canadian female adult contemporary. Wow, that was one of the most specific apologies I've ever made. What were we talking about again? Oh, yeah. This song. It's lame. Sorry. I think Andee's just coasting at this point, but it's less coasting and moreso drowning. Drowning in a sea of my indifference and her mediocrity. And before I have to apologize again, let's add some base to this claim. What's this song about? Well, it's certainly not about me. I doubt Andee even knows I exist. What it appears to be about is regret. And to be fair, the lyrics aren't too bad. I talk before I think I say some crazy things I have foot in mouth disease And there may never be a cure for me But the tone of the lyrics is just undercut by the weaksauce tone of the song. So many stylistic choices here just make this song a lame duck, especially during the chorus. That "ay-y-ay-ay" after the word "way" destroys about 75% of the song right there. And that's what bugs me. If a little more effort had been put into the production, then this would have been worthwhile. But the problem is that there wasn't, and the song falls flat as a result. Sorry, Andee. Still not impressed. There, I got the sorries out of the way. Now I can be as mean and malicious as I like this year! Mwahahahahaaaa!
All right, the holidays are over and it's back to business for this old clown. That's right, I started a clowning business on the side. Got the big red nose and everything. Pretty ridiculous, right? Well, if you think that's ridiculous... it is. But take a look at this anyway.
Fall Out Boy, what happened? You've gone all... pretentious.
Okay, remember the Fall Out Boy of yesteryear? Not a band you'd typically associate with high art upon first listen. But beyond Patrick Stump's dog wailing and the simple instrumentation, there was a certain appeal to Fall Out Boy. If nothing else, you'd argue that they at least had a pulse-pounding energy to their sound. And on their best songs, they just went with that aspect and took it to the extreme. At their best, they knew their strengths and played them out to their full potential. At their worst? Uh... well.... okay, seriously, what the hell is this "Centuries" song. Boys, pretentiousness is not a good look for you. Maybe it works for Lorde, or Lana Del Rey, and that's great for them! But you guys are supposed to be fun, and I don't think this song is any fun at all. I put their 2013 hit on my best list, but 2013 was a lackluster year for good music and that at least had some good guitar to go with it. This is just full-on pretentiousness. What the hell happened? Well, I'll tell you what happened. After their breakup, the members of Fall Out Boy took some time for themselves and to further their solo careers. Patrick moonlighted as a songwriter, Pete wrote a novel, et cetera, et cetera. Through that time, they all matured and came back together to reinvent themselves as a band. And when you read through the hardships that the band members have went through, it does garner some sympathy for each of them. But I'm sorry, music criticism is music criticism, and if I'm going to do this, I have to do this fairly, based solely on the merits of the song. And I'm sorry, old Fall Out Boy is objectively better. This is just not a good fit for them. At all. It goes against everything Fall Out Boy was good at, and it puts them into a whole new environment that they haven't adapted well to. Fall Out Boy might fall out of my good graces if they continue like this.
Yes, it's that time of year again! ...the beginning. A new year, with new songs to piss me off. But before we get into that, let's take a look at ten shining examples of pop music in 2014, because there were some highlights. If I disliked everything on the Billboard charts, this wouldn't be any fun. It's nice to hear music that deserves to become popular, and does. So without further ado, let's count down the Top Ten Songs of 2014! 10. "The Man" - Aloe Blacc
Yes, I'm aware of what I said about this song. It's boring. It's not very strong lyrically. But I also recall myself praising Aloe Blacc's voice, and really, his voice is what sells this song. I enjoy listening to it because Blacc sounds so sure of himself when he tells us that he's the man. It's enough to make you believe him. Not only that, but his voice is really pleasing to the ear. With a whole bunch of ear poison this year, this is just the song you need as an antidote. You da man, Aloe Blacc. Yes I am, yes I am, yes I am Okay, let's not get carried away here. 9. "Bailando" - Enrique Iglesias ft. Descemer Bueno & Gente de Zona
I expect the odd Spanish song to make its way on the Year-End chart once in a while, especially now with the growing inclusiveness of society. But none have ever struck me quite like this one, and maybe it's just because there weren't as many fun-sounding songs this year. But this got me dancing. And I don't even speak Spanish outside of what I learned from Dora the Explorer. But this song makes me want to dance all the same. So, Bailando! Bailandooooo!
8. "Ain't it Fun" - Paramore
Speaking of fun, I don't think Paramore's ever been more fun to listen to. This song is not only a catchy tune, but it's also deliciously sarcastic and mean. And let's face it, I have a bit of a mean streak, and this song hits it. The gospel singing becomes more and more out of place the more I listen to it, but I really don't care. The rest of this song more than makes up for it. I mean, just listen to it! Ain't it fun!
7. "Habits (Stay High)" - Tove Lo
Yeah, this is probably one of the more obvious picks, but I don't pick songs to throw you for a loop. I pick songs because they're damn good. This is damn good.
It's probably the most out-there party-themed song I've heard. There have been songs as of late that have criticized common themes in pop music, most notably Lorde, but this song is different even from those. It's not really a song criticizing the party life. It's simply a narrative. Yeah, remember when those existed in music? The song tells a story of a girl who is so heartbroken that she has to binge on Twinkies, get high, and party all the time to forget about her ex-lover. And it's told beautifully, through Tove Lo's powerful voice and the dark music. It's a musical masterpiece. However, there were six songs I admired more. Never said I was an elitist.
6. "Happy" - Pharrell Williams
Yeah, yeah, the #1 song in America last year, another obvious choice, boo hoo, get over it. This was the #1 song for a reason: it's probably one of the most uplifting songs you could hear. And it's also a song I thought I was going to get tired of quickly. But no, "Happy" stuck with me throughout the year and I didn't regret it one bit. Pharrell brings such energy to the song that you can't help but tap your foot along each time. It truly is a masterpiece of pop, if only for the more earwormingly catchy aspects. And hey, isn't that all that a pop song needs? Well, maybe the Top 5 have more to offer, but a song just getting by on being relentlessly happy, that's pretty damn good. You should be happy, Pharrell. I am too.
5. "Team" - Lorde
Now it took me a little while longer to hop on the Lorde bandwagon than most, but she truly is the goddess of indie rock that we were looking for. Fed up with modern pop music, Lorde gave us "Royals" and now she gives us this, in which she's kinda over being told to throw her hands up in the air. So there. And you know what? I can criticize Lorde all I want, but I'm pretty sure that she won't care. And not in the sense of "I'm rich and I can do whatever I want" (ahem) but in the sense of "this is who I am, and if you don't like it, that's fine." It's a respectable attitude to take, and I see it constantly in her music. The fact that she's just recently turned 18 is impressive as well. I had no idea of her age when I first encountered her, and it's reassuring to know that we have girls like her to take the future of pop music to whole new levels.
4. "Rather Be" - Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne
I did have some criticisms of this song when I first looked at it, and those criticisms still stand. It's too busy and unfocused at some parts. But at least there was effort put into this, rather than succumbing to old tropes like Calvin Harris did this year. And overall, the effort pays off. I like Jess Glynne's vocals, I like the instrumentation despite its flaws, and I like the overall uplifting message the lyrics have.
When I am with you
There's no place I'd rather be
It's just a fun song to listen to, and I can never fault a song for being fun, especially when it's so smartly composed. Kudos to you, Clean Bandit. Let's hear more from you in 2015.
3. "Bang Bang- wait, seriously?!
Okay, how did this sneak onto my list?
"Bang Bang" - Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj
Okay... this one might require some heavy explanation.
I don't know, overall it's just a fun song to listen to. It delivers exactly what it promises, a bang banger to satisfy your stupid pop music craving. It's like a good Katy Perry song; it's mindless, but it does make you pay attention. There are a lot of flaws with this song, probably the most of all the songs on my list. But I can overlook those flaws to find an enjoyable listen, even if the song is stupid. This wasn't so much of an explanation as an admission of guilt, was it? Oh well, either one works. Bang bang away!
2. "Problem" - Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea
Was this seriously a surprise to anybody? I pretty much fell in love with this song the moment I first heard it, and gushed over it appropriately. So I don't even know what else to say here. Everything about it works. It's a pop masterpiece. I'm just reiterating what I've already said. More so than the other entries, I mean.
Well, let's get to my number one pick, which I didn't even review this year. The reason for this had to do with the fact that it crept into the Year End chart at #97, so it wasn't a huge enough hit to fall under my radar. But when I looked over the entire list, I knew it had to be my #1 hit of the year. And if I had to describe it in one word, it would be "redemption".
1. "0 to 100/The Catch Up" - Drake
Remember "Started from the Bottom"? That awful song that made me finally give up on Drake ever embracing his true potential as an artist? Yeah, well, talk about night and day with this song. This is everything "Started from the Bottom" should have been. Introspective, tight, emotional, and relatable. Drake turns from my perpetual punchline into a contender for one of the best rappers of the decade. The lyrics here are some of the best I've heard, and definitely the best I've heard from Drake. He talks about having to grow up quicker than most kids, his understanding of people thinking he's fake, and even admission to his own faults. I get Drake now. I totally understand Drake as an artist now. One song can have that much power. Don't ever think otherwise.
And with that, we say goodbye to 2014, and hope for even bigger and better things this year! My blog is now averaging about 25 views per day, something I'm stoked about! I thank all my readers for your support, and I hope it continues throughout this year.
